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Man Pleads Not Guilty to Ricin Charges
A 58-year-old Arizona man pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of trying to produce ricin, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Feb. 9). Authorities last year found castor beans plants that could be used to make the agent in the apartment of Denys Ray Hughes. He was indicted in February on federal charges of attempting to produce a biological weapon. Hughes has also been charged with possession of illegal weapons and explosives. “It was clear that we interrupted an individual that was infatuated and experimented with dangerous toxins and explosive weapons,” said Tom Mangan, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Law enforcement officials said they believe Hughes was working alone and was not part of a terrorist organization. He faces life in prison for the ricin charge. The four silencers and two pipe bombs found in Hughes’ home could each earn him another 20 years in prison, AP reported. Court documents indicate that Hughes possessed a “to-do” list that included purchasing cannon fuse, building a reinforced bunker and finding safe storage. In a search of his Wisconsin cabin, authorities found ricin formulas, six bottles of castor beans and dimethyl sulfide, which can break through the skin and has been combined with ricin before, Mangan said. Authorities also found 42 chemical and biological samples and a variety of weapons behind the walls of the cabin (Amanda Lee Myers, Associated Press/Mohave Daily News, March 2).
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